By JOLENE OGLE
THREE St Andrew’s Anglican College students are making waves in water polo with two selected to represent Australia in South Africa in December and another having just returned from playing in Europe.
Nick Porter, 17, who recently returned from competing in Croatia, Serbia and Hungary as part of the Australia Born 98 youth boys team, said he was looking forward to the coming season.
“I’m excited to get back into it,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the school season and national league. The KFC Breakers will take me all over Australia. This year, we go to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.”
Meanwhile, Jackie Sjogren, 15, and Dylan Coolican, 17, are amping up their training regimes as they prepare to represent Australia in South Africa in December this year.
Jackie said her trip to South Africa would be her first time travelling outside of Australia to compete, and added that while it was scary, she was excited.
Training has already started for her with three swimming sessions per week, two training sessions plus basketball training and games on top of her water polo commitments.
While Jackie has played basketball since she was five, she only entered into water polo three years ago, and said she was proud to have already been chosen to represent Australia.
Dylan, who used to play with his dad in a social competition, said it was inevitable he would jump in the pool and join the water polo team when he started school.
When it comes to heading to South Africa, Dylan said he was excited.
“We’ve played New Zealand before, but to play a different country will be really interesting,” he said.
St Andrew’s water polo coach Cam Piper said seeing the students succeed was the most rewarding part of his job.
“It’s all their hard work. They’ve put in the hard yards to get there, but it’s very fulfilling to see them put in the hard work and get results,” he said.
